Donnerstag, 14. September 2017

Autumn is coming ... outside it's getting rainy and cold. So, to get into a comforting, cozy autumn feeling, I decided to knit up a couple of autumn-themed potholders - and I decided that pumpkins would do nicely.
As with most of my potholder patterns, it is knitted all in garter stitch to give it a certain thickness and squishiness. The shaping is done with a combination of in-/decreases and short rows.

The picture on the right shows that the pumpkin is knitted sideways.
It starts with a rather long cast on. The shaping of the first half is done with short rows and a few decreases. In the middle of the piece a knitted CO is used to craft the stem - its shaping is done with repeated increases before the stem stitches are bound off again.
The second half is roughly the same than the first half but knitted in the opposite direction and with increases instead of decreases.

Donnerstag, 7. September 2017

This spring I experimented a lot with a combination of intarsia technique and short rows - on smaller projects such as washcloths and potholders (such as I ♥ Intarsia Washcloth) and on a bigger scarf (Wedges Wrap). I did like the resulting patterns so I wanted to try it out on a cowl as well - and this time with an interesting black and white contrast.
So, if you like bold geometric patterns, this cowl is for you. It is knitted all in garter stitch with two skeins or bobbins of each color.
As to the name: This Wikipedia page explains the concept of a skew symmetric matrix.

Sonntag, 3. September 2017

I'm still in the middle of sockmania - meaning that currently, I don't have many other knitting ideas, but as long as I'm knitting anything, I'm fine. This time I wanted to try out a different toe shape. I.e. a different sock for the left and the right foot. And to make it a bit more interesting, I included a little intarsia pattern as well.

The chart and the exact description is given for socks knitted with 60 stitches in the round (i.e. for sizes 36 to 39). But there will be instructions on how to change it for smaller and bigger sizes as well.

As to the name: The line-up of the rectangles reminded me a little of the pattern in a Battenberg cake.

Once again, this is NOT a complete knitting pattern, but a rough sketch how to knit these socks.

Intarsia in the round: as shown in this YouTube video by Julia farwell-clay.I used the method from this video. Basically you knit back and forth even though your stitches are arranged in the round - and you have to consider rounds in pairs - one RS row and one WS row. You start with your main color (MC) on the RS, then - as in normal intarsia you change (by twisting the yarns) - to contrast color (CC) and knit your CC part, After finishing this you turn your work, make a yarn-over and do the WS with CC, when you get to the MC part you change back as in normal (flat) intarsia to MC.Now with MC you work your way on the WS not only to the start of the round, but further to the point where you ended the CC part. Here you p2tog the last MC stitch with the yarn over in CC. Then you turn - again with a yarn over - and do the RS part to the beginning of the round. That's the two round finished.When - during the next pair of rounds - you reach the new yarn over on the RS, you have to do an ssk of the last stitch in CC with the yarn over in MC.

Instructions

Toe

Do a magic CO of 10 sts - while knitting the first round, put a marker at the half and the end of the round.

Knit the to according to the chart below. The chart shows on half of one of each foot, the second half is the mirror of the first half. The numbers in the middle indicate the row number.

Toe increases - click to enlarge

If you knit according to this chart, you'll end up with 60 stitches (good for socks in sizes 36 to 39). For socks in smaller sizes (e.g. 32 to 35) you'll need to end up with 56 stitches. Here I'd suggest you start with a magic CO of 9 stitches and leave out one increase on the outer side (e.g. in row 14). That way you have 2 fewer stitches on each half which means a total of four fewer stitches.
Similarly, for socks in bigger sizes (e.g. 40 to 43), I'd suggest a magic CO of 11 stitches and one increase more on the outer side, e.g. in row 16.

Foot

Once you've finished the toe, you can start with the intarsia pattern. It consists of rectangles that are 4 stitches wide and 4 stitches high - stacked in a Battenberg pattern.

Pattern for left foot

For the left sock, place a stitch marker to mark the start the intarsia pattern on the outer side 4 stitches away from the edge of the outer half on the front.

Rounds 1 and 2
- RS, MC: k to stitch marker, change to CC
- RS, CC: k 4 sts, turn work
- WS, CC: yo, p4, change to MC
- WS, MC: p to the beginning of the round, and - without turning, go on purling to 1 sts before the yo in CC, p2tog (i.e. you purl together the last stitch in MC and the yo in CC - connecting the two), turn work
- RS, MC: yo, k to beginning of round
Rounds 3 and 4 = Rounds 1 and 2

Rounds 5 and 6
- RS, MC: k to stitch marker, k4, change to CC
- RS, CC: k 4 sts, turn work
- WS, CC: yo, p4, change to MC
- WS, MC: p to the beginning of the round, and - without turning, go on purling to 1 sts before the yo in CC, p2tog (i.e. you purl together the last stitch in MC and the yo in CC - connecting the two), turn work
- RS, MC: yo, k to beginning of round
Rounds 7 and 8 = Rounds 5 and 6Pattern for right foot

For the right sock. place the intarsia block mirrored to the first sock, and for that you need to place the stitch marker 12 stitches away from the outer edge of the front of the sock (i.e. 4 sts away from edge plus 8 stitch width or intarsia pattern. The pattern is also mirrored to the other sock.

Rounds 1 and 2
- RS, MC: k to stitch marker, k4, change to CC
- RS, CC: k 4 sts, turn work
- WS, CC: yo, p4, change to MC
- WS, MC: p to the beginning of the round, and - without turning, go on purling to 1 sts before the yo in CC, p2tog (i.e. you purl together the last stitch in MC and the yo in CC - connecting the two), turn work
- RS, MC: yo, k to beginning of round
Rounds 3 and 4 = Rounds 1 and 2

Rounds 5 and 6
- RS, MC: k to stitch marker, change to CC
- RS, CC: k 4 sts, turn work
- WS, CC: yo, p4, change to MC
- WS, MC: p to the beginning of the round, and - without turning, go on purling to 1 sts before the yo in CC, p2tog (i.e. you purl together the last stitch in MC and the yo in CC - connecting the two), turn work
- RS, MC: yo, k to beginning of round
Rounds 7 and 8 = Rounds 5 and 6

The chart below shows the color pattern for both socks.

Intarsia pattern - click to enlarge

Repeat rounds 1 to 8 until the sock is as long as you'd like it to be - don't forget to insert scrap yarn for an afterthought heel when the foot part of your sock is long enough.